OrchidSafari ARCHIVES*

Pot. Mellowglow polyploid, probably tetraploid

Slc. Anzac: white (or light) area in center (apex ss/ps union) is mark of Anzac

Miyamoto known (and sometimes criticized) for breeding program of lots of C. dowiana; red, yellow, purple all together.

Sl. Psyche streaks dominant to its progeny -- comes from L. tenebrosa

Red phalaenopsis often have pink-purple halo of amboinensis

Thick-leaved plants telling you don't need much water...water stored in pseudobulbs, don't pot in big pot; do nicely mounted.

Sunburn: Don't cut if green leaf remains above burn. If end is burned, cut on diagonal (looks nicer) and treat cut with fungicide/sulphur.

Repot when new bud "bump" begins to bulge and BEFORE roots are 1" long. If you have to pot aerial roots, cut to about 2-3" and put larger mix around these roots than remainder of pot.

Before the new "bumps" form, you can cut your divisions right in pot (suggestion: place plastic tags in cuts to remind you they were cut). Dormant eyes in back sections should break new growth also, and all will be ready to pot.

Shriveled FRONT bulb on cattleyas -- check base. If there are lots of firm white roots, TOO DRY, water more. If roots at base are dead or mushy, TOO WET, repot in small pot.

Shriveled leaves, flat back pseudobulbs: repot in small pot.

Losing leaves: normal on back bulbs in fall. If many leaves begin to yellow, probably kept too wet in fall and early winter - REPOT REGARDLESS OF TIME OF YEAR.

Dry sheaths: C. mossiae and its hybrids, dry sheaths okay (also C. skinneri, I leave on most species to be sure...mlg). When hybrid cattleya sheaths begin to yellow, cut open to base. Can also cut sheath back. He did not recommend complete removal.

Micro-mini 4"
Mini 8"
Compact 12"
Standard 14" - 2'

green with green, gives green

green with red, muddy

green with any other color - yellows

Epi. Obrienianum alba X Slc. California Apricot = Epicat with many striking white/yellow lip flowers [not registered as of 9/95]

Soph. coccinea miniatures which bloom 2X/yr can be different at each blooming.

L. anceps var. roeblingiana (BEAUTIFUL)

Many Slc. Waianae Sunset crosses cripple. Slc. Waianae Sunset (Lc Dorothy Fried X Lc. Mysedo).

Brasso's add substance

C. harrisoniana is C. loddigesii. L. loddigesii 'Streeter's Choice", dark, dark pink/white lip (rare, expensive). Striking color combination.

Goal is a plant 5-8" or smaller -- maximum 8", with 4-5" flowers, preferably blooming more than once a year.

SOPH COCCINEA IS THE KEY FOR RED COLOR; cool growing requirements give H&R trouble.

Twenty years ago Ernest Hetherington crossed C. Bob Betts X Soph. coccinea, a difficult thing to do but managed through persistence, making Sc. Rose Pixie 'Pinafore'. It is 6-7" tall with 4 ½ " : small plant, large flwrs, long lasting, easy to grow, blooms twice a year, slight fragrance. [Slc. Wendy's Valentine 'June', AM/AOS (Sl. Jinn X Slc. Paprika) old goody also generally 2 flwrs per infl, 3-4" natural spread, clear red].

(Slc. Precious Stones X Soph. coccinea) = Slc. Bright Angel 'Lea': Easy to grow, 2 1/2" flowers. Easy to flower because warm-growing C. aclandiae is in background.
Slc Precious Stones = (Sl Psyche X C. aclandiae]

BRO sanguinea is related to the cattleyas, but more distantly, and progeny have disease problems and don't tolerate heat or cold very well. Therefore, the use of sanguinea as a parent was abandoned by hybridizers. We found a very small following for the Cattleytonias.

(Ctna. Maui Maid X C. Little Dipper} = Ctna. Maui Dipper was remade using special parents with more chromosomes -- tetraploids, producing a new series of CTNA with a 4" flower on a small plant. H&R is testing the cross now and with release later.

(L. sincorana X C. walkeriana) = Lc. Love Knot: 4" lasting flower, 5" plant.

C. walkeriana is one of the basic plants I use in hybridizing now. You keep the flower count with C. walkeriana; with other cattleyas like luteola or aclandiae you lose flower count.

(L. pumila by C. walkeriana) = Lc. Mini-Purple. We are always trying to widen the narrow lip of Soph. coccinea. Although L. pumila comes from a cold growing area, it is rated intermediate.
L. pumila crosses are easy to flower.

(L. pumila X Sl. Orpetii) = Sl. Permanent 2 1/2" flowers.
[L. pumila X Soph coccinea) = Sl. Orpetii
(Sl. Orpetii X Sc. Beaufort) = Slc. Jillian Lee
This turned out well and we are remaking it now.

C. walkeriana X Slc. Mahalo Jack - 2 1/2" flowers [still not registered thru 9/95]
Slc. Mahalo Jack = (C. walkeriana X Sl. Orpetii)

Soph. coccinea was once very rare; more of them now.

(Soph. coccinea X C. luteola) = Sc. Beaufort. Clone 'Yellow Lip' has twice the flowers.

Slc. Maui Elf (Lc. Chicanery X Soph. coccinea), twice a year - redder in early spring than in summer/fall bloomings.
L. pumila imparts warmth tolerance.

Sc. Beaufort not good over 90 degrees because of Soph. coccinea. Sc. Beaufort seems to be healthy in winter and only survive the summer.

(Sc. Beaufort 'Yellow Lip' X Slc. Tangerine Jewel) = SLC Seagulls Mini-Cat Heaven
Slc. Tangerine Jewel is used in Hawaii as a stepping stone for the Soph. coccinea in it.
Slc. Tangerine Jewel = (Slc. Little Beamche X Soph. coccinea]

(C. Angelwalker X Sc. Beaufort) = Sc. Angelface, all blooming pink with yellow lip.

{Sc. Beaufort X C. Princess Bells 4N) = Sc. Royal Beau and is blooming in 2 1/2" pots with 2 ½" flowers with the coloration of Blc. George King [most famous clone is Blc. George King 'Serendipity', AM/AOS in 1975 and I believe would hold that award even today...lovely, large, full delicate pink with yellow undertones. Blc. George King = (Blc. Buttercup X C. Bob Betts]

(Sc. Beaufort X Blc. Waikiki Gold) = Pot. Beaufort Gold. Blooming in different shades of yellow.
Blc. Waikiki Gold is known as the longest lasting of any cattleya flower, lasting 5-6 weeks in summer.
Blc Waikiki Gold = (Blc. Pink Surprise X C. forbesii)
Blc. Peach Cobbler = (Blc. Waikiki Gold X C. guttata) is equally long lasting in warm weather.

(Blc Toshi Aoki X Sc. Beaufort) = Pot. Little Toshi. Looking for plants of Beaufort size with flowers of Toshi Aoki size.

(Sc. Beaufort X Slc. Precious Stones 'True Beauty') = Slc. Tiny Titan

We keep SOPH coccinea to 33% or less to retain the color (red) and still get the enhancement we are looking for (larger size).

(Soph. coccinea 4N [rounder, more full] X Slc. Precious Stones) = Slc. Bright Angel. 2" flower, very round, very red. We will use this to pass on the SOPH coccinea red, it has more red.

(C. aclandiae X Sl Psyche) = Slc. Precious Stones

(C. aclandiae X L. esalqueana) = Lc. Jungle Elf. Want to make other hybrids to use these spots. It's a 3 1/2" plant with 2 1/2" flowers.

C. Angelwalker X Lc. Jungle Elf [not registered as of 9/95]

We made a new plant of an old cross mating Soph coccinea 4N X C. walkeriana 4N to achieve an improved Sc. Carol Lynn. We will make hybrids using this new Sc. Carol Lynn.

We will use Slc. Bright Angel 4N to make some bigger and better reds.

Lc. Love Knot 4N = (C. walkeriana X L. sincorana)...will be used to make compact plants. L. sincorana is known for making plants very compact in growth and also imparts fragrance.

Sc. Crystelle Smith (Sc. Beaufort X C. loddigesii) - 6-8" tall, 2-1/2" pink/yellow lip flwrs.

Sl. Isabelle Stone (L. sincorana X Soph. coccinea) - 1-1 flwrs, almost 4" ns, coral with darker lip.

Blc. Debba Doo (Lc. Red Gold X Blc. Bouton D'Or) - 8-10" tall, 3 or 4 2" to 2-1/2" orange-red flowers per infl. Never awarded, but very nice.

Slc. Deborah Off (Sl. Psyche X Sc Beaufort) 2-3 flwrs per infl, 2-1/2" ns, orange with yellow lip.

Slc. Dixie Jewels (Slc. Madge Fordyce X C. aclandiae) - generally 2 per infl, up to 3" deep red flwrs.

And, of course, the Slc. Hazel Boyds (Slc. California Apricot X Slc. Jewel Box) usually 2 flwrs per infl, but known to have up to 4 per infl, up to 3-4" ns, yellow to red and all shades in between.

Roy stated it has always been said in the Islands that it takes 20-30 years to become good at hybridizing; and he grinned and added that he felt that being younger, brighter, and college-educated, it should come more quickly for him. And he added: I started working on mini-catts in 1983, and I'm still working on it...getting pretty close to those 20 years.

A plant of 8 - 12" total size that flowers for the first time in a 3" pot fits the description. Leaders in mini hybridizing were Stewarts and Fordyce. Roy purchased hybrids and mericlones from those sources.

Slides showing Slc. Hazel Boyd (leaf-twisting comes from Slc. California Apricot), Soph. coccinea, C. walkeriana and C. luteola followed.

The mini-catt goal: warmth tolerance in a range of pinks and semi albas.

Slc. Hazel Boyd was abandoned as a foundation, as were diploid forms of Sl. Orpetii, Lc. Mini Purple, and Sc. Beaufort. Slc. Tangerine Jewel (Slc. Little Beamche X Soph. coccinea) was mediocre. But a diploid Sl. Orpetii X C. walkeriana (4N) produced Slc. Mahalo Jack.

Sc. Beaufort, in Japan alone, produced 50 various naturally occurring 4N clones.
Sc. Beaufort ‘Yellow Lip' (4N)(1983) was a chance mutation.

(4N clones of Sc. Beaufort were a breakthrough; tetraploids are Roy's key to mini-catt hybridizing.)

First Sc Beaufort hybrids from Japan: Pot. Love Call (Blc. Waikiki Sunset X), and Slc. Ken Dream (Lc. Persepolis X).

C. Candy Tuft X Sc. Beaufort shows the Sc. Beaufort yellow is recessive.

Lc. Mini Purple X Sc. Beaufort (Krill Smith Orchids) is white with a striped lip.

Sc. Beaufort ‘Yellow Lip' progeny:

Pot. Beaufort Gold (Blc. Waikiki Gold X)
Slc. Tangerine Jewel ‘Vi' X (unnamed)
Slc. Tiny Titan (Slc. Precious Stones ‘True Beauty' X)
Pot. Little Toshie (X Blc. Toshie Aoki ‘Pizzaz') (blooms 3 times a year with every bulb flowering which is due to Beaufort parentage)
Pot. Royal Beau (X C. Princess Bells)
Sc. Angel Face (C. Angelwalker ‘OC' X) (pink with darker pink lip picotee)
Slc. Jungle Beau (Lc. Jungle Elf (4N) [Fennell Orchid Co] X Sc Beaufort)

Sc Beaufort has shown that a large number of hybrids can be made using one key tetraploid as its foundation. Sc. Beaufort was the first used extensively and most widely available. Other tetraploid possibilities:

Bc. Hippodamia (C. aclandiae X B. nodosa)
Sc. Carol Lynn (Soph. coccinea X C. walkeriana)(4N just out)
C. Little Dipper (Angelwalker X Batalinii)
C. Landate ‘Charm' (4N) (C. aclandiae X guttata)
Slc. Bright Angel (Precious Stones X Soph. coccinea)
Soph. coccinea (4N)
Lc. Love Knot ‘HR' (4N) (L. sincorana X C. walkeriana)
Slc. Tangerine Jewel ‘Vi' (4N) (Slc. Little Beamche X Soph. coccinea)
Lc. Jungle Elf (4N) (C. aclandiae X L. esalqueana)
C. Angelwalker (4N) (Little Angel X walkeriana)
Ctna. Why Not ‘Roundabout‘ (4N) (Bro. sanguinea X C. aurantiaca)
Bl. Richard Mueller (4N) (B. nodosa X L. milleri)
C. Snow Blind (walkeriana X Angelwalker)

marylois
I find Hazels like more water than anything else in the greenhouse.

Gail_Levy
I love the Chocolate Drops too, good fragrance and I'll keep the Jewel Boxes, they are quite nice.

Native_Heart
I have two Hazel Boyds that did not bloom this year. Are they fading, I hope not.

Hallie,_VA,_USA
I finally got the Slc. Jungle Beau to bloom after sitting it in 1/2 inch of water, as Helen does with her Phrags. Unorthodox, but it worked. I'm watching the medium though, so I don't rot the roots and kill the darn thing now!

Native_Heart
Everytime I ask for advice on growing my mini catts I get advice that is 180 degrees from that last.

graphicgreg
Most of our minis bloom 3 or more times a year... Lc. Jungle Elf seems to always be in bloom.

marylois
Exactly, Susan! That's my trick with my Hazels - less light, more water.

Hallie,_VA,_USA
Re: the OLD discussion of B. nodosa crosses not being scented--my one and only is; anyone else's?

Native_Heart
greg, since you are in S. Fla I should try to copy your methods, I've sent more minis to heaven than anything else.

marylois
Sounds like we need to listen to how Greg is growing his -- esp you folks in FL.

Gail_Levy
I've killed a couple of Mini Purples too.

Hallie,_VA,_USA
What about temperatures? My winter temps were much lower than I'd like; down to low 50s several times. How bad will that inhibit them?

marylois
What nodosa cross do you have, Hallie? To tell the truth, I've several, but never checked fragrance...will do so this year.

marylois
Hi, Richard - what did you ask me just before you left WBS?

Hallie,_VA,_USA
My only nodosa cross is the one I got from Andy, B. nodosa x C. citrina. (Which I guess is really Enc. citrina...)

Native_Heart
Hallie, I will check mine for fragrance too.

graphicgreg
Hi folks...I didn't realize that mini Catts had a reputation??? We don't do anything special...Hazel Boyd 'Elizabeth' was in bloom for months...made successive flowers off the same spike. We have a couple seedlings that have first-bloomed last month, cute little puppies; Slc. Beautiful Sunset (Sc. Orpetii x L. sincorana)

Native_Heart
Greg, that sounds pretty special to me.

Gail_Levy
Jane, why hasn't Richard been around, is he avoiding us because he's heard we want him to do an evening on Broughtonias???

Hallie,_VA,_USA
I have a Slc. Lady in red x S. coccinea that is trying to croak...down to two pseudobulbs and one leaf. But the pseudobulbs are nice and green, and the roots look OK, so I'm still keeping it.

marylois
Hmmmm - believe the Enc. citrina would give fragrance, Hallie.

graphicgreg
I think any discussion about mini-catts needs to have them segregated into groups.

Hallie,_VA,_USA
Maybe that's it. I was suprised that so many people on OLD said their nodosa crosses had no scent at all.

Richard_in_Wonderful_West
I asked if you had a straggler C. aurantiaca still in flower. I got it into my head to try to remake Ctna. Why not using a yellow Broughtonia sanguinea.

Hallie,_VA,_USA
How should they be grouped?

Native_Heart
I've some really pretty mini catts (if they'd bloom they would be pretty) from a very good grower. SPECIFICS, Greg. Shady, cool, wet, how how how???

graphicgreg
what makes a particular hybrid a "mini" would somewhat determine its culture...yes ???

Native_Heart
Bad student question. What was the homework?

graphicgreg
BTW - Richard, Helen Schwartz had a very nice yellow aurantiaca at March judging...call her.

Prankster__Susan
Ive got a straggler C.auriantica in bloom.

marylois
H&R, Roy Tokunaga says the mini-catt goal is: A plant 5-8" or smaller -- maximum 8", with 4-5" flowers, preferably blooming more than once a year. How would you limit this, Greg? Of course, it would not include the midi sizes (i.e., Jewel Box, Paprika - or the tall Laelias. Seems all else would be fair game.

graphicgreg
I would think that minis that are ' minified' by using Bro. sanguinea or C. aclandiae or the rupicolous Laelias would tend toward warmer brighter conditions than the Sophronitis group...although as I pointed out, Sc. Calypso grows well for us in Florida (S. coccinea x C. loddigesii).

marylois
No, I don't, but a yellow aurantiaca is the answer -- hasn't it been done?

John_in_Arcadia_CA
I made a "mini" cat cross with Sc. Doris 'Pamela' by Slc. Papkika 'Black Magic'. I named it after my wife, Slc. Nancy Yates. All of the fowers were yellow or orange-ish with red lips and a little red on the edges of the petals. I like Slc. Doris 'Pamela but I now just seem to not be able to grow it.

graphicgreg
Lois, Roy's standard seems about right, however the 4-5 blooms may be difficult when you're talking parents such as C. walkeriana, L. pumila & sincorana and even Soph. coccinea.

John_in_Arcadia_CA
Lois, the cross that I just mentioned is within your limits. I still have about 3 plants left but thay really are not easy to grow. The Soph. influence?

marylois
It's a goal - but 4-inchers have happened - I think in our climates we are lucky to get 3 inches.

graphicgreg
John ---just how small is Sc. Doris ???

John_in_Arcadia_CA
What size flower is wanted on "mini-catts"?

Richard_in_Wonderful_West
Great -- can you harvest the pollen from a flower or two and send it to me ASAP?
Greg -- Yellow would be terrific but I don't know Helen.

marylois
Very likely the Soph. influence, but we are blooming Slc and Pot. fairly regularly. Your lovely cross would fall in the midi range - as opposed to mini and micro-mini.

graphicgreg
Not inches Lois ---flower count. Most of our minis rarely produce three flowers per spike, more likely two, unless they have a rupicolous Laelia as a parent or Broughtonia. [I believe majority of these plants are young - given time, flower count may go up some. I've seen three on Hazel Boyd), but you are right, generally one or two flowers on non-rupicolous crosses.]

Hallie,_VA,_USA
Are Pot. any harder to grow than Slc? I saw some really cute Pot. Hoku Gem at the VOS show.

[Both are reputed to need more light than the standard cattleya-types, but I found they don't want full light, and do want more water - maybe not quite as much as the Hazel Boyds though. The more genera in a cultivar, it stands to reason the growing would become more tricky - esp evidenced in the Oncidiinae. Once acclimated (or they get you trained) they grow and bloom as good as anything else...mlg]

John_in_Arcadia_CA
Greg - Sc. Doris 'Pamela' is about 4 inches or slightly more if grown right. I just love that plant!! I used to have very good luck with it. The color is just great - orange really!

marylois
3 to 4" flowers, John.

Prankster__Susan
The fls are just opening. Is this the best time? Do I put the pollinia in an envelope? Film canister?

Richard_in_Wonderful_West
Maybe it's been done, but I don't think so. Whimsey Orchids has a yellow Ctna. Why Not, but it is a sport -- the only one in a CP of regular reds.

John_in_Arcadia_CA
Why midi? They seem to fall in the mini range which is what?

marylois
In most show schedules the minis must be less than 6" tall.

John_in_Arcadia_CA
Lois, my cross (Slc. Nancy Yates) definitely falls in this range.

Richard_in_Wonderful_West

I'd let the flowers open fully for a day or two and then just put the pollen in a folded piece of plain white paper, stick it in an envelope and mail it. If you let me have your e-mail address, I'll send you my snail mail address. The yellow Broughtonia is just opening so the timing is good. I'll be glad to share the results with you.

marylois
Gee! With the parents I would have thought it would be a taller plant....uh, what can I trade you for one? *grin*

Prankster__Susan
Excellent Richard . How exciting!

graphicgreg
how do they measure Lois ??? To the top of the pseudobulb ??? The Hazel Boyds (Jewel Boxes too) have that unruly growth habit where the leaves are usually at a twisted oblique angle to the pseudobulb which is why I have a hard time considering them mini's...cut the leaves off maybe. [Jewel Box is more properly a "midi"...mlg]

marylois
Measure from bottom of pbs. I do not believe Jewel Box is considered mini - nor Bouton d'Or - etc.
In fact, some Hazel Boyds have trouble getting in under that criterion.

Prankster__Susan
My Jewel Box has floppy pseudobulbs that like to lie down. That's my only complaint about it.

marylois
Jewel Box is almost as unruly as Hazels.*G*

John_in_Arcadia_CA
Lois - I just went to the greenhouse and measured that plant - bulbs and leaves from 6 to 8 inches. My spacial relations are very poor!!!